A few nights after her meeting with Gwendolyn and Michael Rose received a call from the petite teen on the number she had given, informing her that the local council representative wished to meet her later in the evening. Assuming she was available the address would be sent shortly thereafter, along with a text saying that she looked forward to seeing Rose again soon.

The address, if checked beforehand, was revealed to be a home near the water in the Bayside area of town. Upon arrival one would find that a car was parked in the driveway and the garage door opened, revealing it to be a workshop of some sort. Two figures were present: Gwendolyn, and an older man, his figure fit and his hair shock white.

Rose herself had not been particularly busy when she recieved the call. As in many things, she'd taken to continuing to survey the area. She -had- taken to seeing how much she could manipulate the local hedge, to see whether or not she could make a suitable nuetral ground for the area - but at the moment without being a part of the community that would prove a daunting task, to say the least.

She does, naturally, check where it is that she will be heading to before arriving. Most of them knew to look ahead at things and since she was not a part of the community yet she was all too aware she was free game for the loyalists and for the privateers. Free, Dangerous, Lethal game. She could feel Almvieg's hope boiling in the back of her mind, the desire to feel the blood of a foe on her hands.

It was always so alien, those sensations since they were not hers. Distant, there inside her, but not hers. Long ago, it'd been hard to separate who she was from who they were, but since then she'd found more of a clarity of mind - they all had in a way.

They approach mostly by hedge route. For one, it was a more familiar terrain to them and faster. For two, and this was the particularly notable one - it allowed her to come better armed with less hassle. The armor she wore was notably still a loose style of armor and likely could pass walking through the streets briefly, but might gather eyes if she took too long walking through it, making her a much more notable face among many. Not that she wasn't notable.

She exits a gate nearby, approaching the house and the garage door. She is, as always, a vision of radiance - literal radiance in this case. Her hair is a tidal wave of solar rays, her eyes a rainbow hue which shifts from time to time. She doesn't have any weapons, but she does have armor - pieces of metal to the fae eye which gleam like crystal against her skin, allowing both mobility and defense. She smiles as she approaches - but notably doesn't yet speak.

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

As Rose approached, the man's features would come into detail. The white hair she had spotted revealed itseld to be fine wire, coiffed just so, and the gleaming brass and silver accents of his mechanical form proved to be as finely crafted beyond any merely mortal hand. The same light that lived in the heart of both Rose and Gwendolyn shone even brighter in him, the sapphire eyes burning with a flame all their own.

Both turn to look in her direction, the man standing and Gwendolyn sitting on a workstool. Gauging by the tools in the garage the man did metalwork, although there was a partially-finished stained glass piece resting on one of the work tables. The man gave Rose a nod and a small smile. "Evening. You'd be Rose, I take it?"

Her gaze flickered over the man - sharp little details being taken in, a perceptive eye (though how many fae were not perceptive?) taking in his every detail. She meets him with cerulean eyes, glowing with a soft light, and smiles - her lips part, and the voice which stops time escapes for just a moment. "I am. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintence."

No assumptions as to his nature. No assumptions as to his name. After all, for all she knew this could be an Emmissary from the king, rather than the king himself - or someone wholly different from the Julian she had mentioned before.

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

Hearing her voice made him pause, although the smile did widen a bit when he caught back up to the world. "You weren't kidding, Gwen."

"No I was not, sir." Gwendolyn smiled slightly, giving Rose a nod. "Miss Rose, I would like to introduce you to Julian Marshall of House Gwyddion, King of the Seelie Court."

"It is an honor, your grace. I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me," Rose said softly, her words spoken so as to attempt to diminish the effect they had on people. It helped little - instead, it drew the ears more, forcing people to wish to come closer, hear more - a part of her knew it too, but it was a style of conversation she'd become accustomed to. She lets out a low bow, not quite a kneel but worthy of the respect a King is owed.

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, madame." Julian replied, giving her a small nod in return. "I was informed that you had quite the trip coming in. Was your return here the first time back on the Ironside, or have you been out for a spell?"

She thought a moment, before speaking, "The Latter, your grace. My entrance into the city involved the Sky Pathways, which translated into here. I've seen a few cities since I escaped and you could say I'm adjusted since I was Thorntorn."

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

"Glad to hear it." Julian nodded with a small smile. "If you had needed assistance adjusting we would have been glad to give it, of course."

"Now..." His voice took on a more serious tone as he continued. "I can see that you were brought into the Court, but Gwendolyn advised me that you had met no other member of it before your arrival. Is that the case?"

"Thank you for your generosity," She nodded and then said, "As far as my meeting other members of the court - This is correct, your Grace. In truth, I was not even aware that the Courts here were Seelie and UnSeelie - most locations do have the names there, but they specify it differently - such as Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Two Halves which represent aspects of the same thing though - duality is a common theme among our kind I suspect."

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

"Indeed it is. To my knowledge the Seasonal courts never found purchase here; we simply split the year in two, as a nod to some of the older tales that had come here with the city's residents. The Houses were introduced later, when the freehold was properly formed."

"By the originator of my position in the freehold, I'll note." Gwendolyn said with a small puff of her chest, rather proud of that fact indeed.

Julian smiled at that youthful exuberance, giving the Gravewight a nod before looking back to Rose. "Have you been informed of such as of yet?"

]"I was told of the Houses, but have not yet had the privilege to hear of them all yet." She looked to Gwendolyn and smiled, "May I ask your position?"

Since she didn't recall Gwendolyn mentioning it when they last spoke.

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

"Minister of Contracts." Gwendolyn replied proudly. "I oversee the gathered knowledge of the freehold, both in written lore and in discovered magics."

"Our freehold works differently than most, from what I've been told, modeled after the British parliamentary set up rather than the usual monarchy." Julian continued. "The Courts still have their King or Queen, but we serve as more of a foundation bulwark, the orderly hand-off of the crown from season to season acting as a buffer against those from beyond the Thorns. The day to day business is handled by the privy council, of which Gwendolyn here is a member."

She nods and then said, "You must be quite the sorceress then, Gwendolyn. I would love to see you in your natural atmosphere." She looked to the King and then tilted her head, "I am afraid I fear I am misunderstanding something, your Grace." She paused a moment, considering - rolling it around in her head, until finally she spoke once more," Forgive me if it seems a bit direct, but I can't think of another way to ask - Are you saying that the King and Queen are just figureheads?"

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

"It's not an odd question to ask." Julian nodded quietly. "We are still the leaders of our courts and serve with the privy council, but our power in the freehold is centered more on ensuring that the True Fae and their servants do not attack the freehold, or when they do that they are turned away as expediently as possible."

"I see." She considered this a moment. The transfer of power was what caused the protection in other freeholds, not necessarily the transfer of the crown - or so she recalled. That was from another world however, where the rules played differently, and everything was a strange enough occurence as it was. She chose to keep her opinions to herself in this matter however - because, ultimately, she was a newcomer to this part and did not know how things worked here. If they worked, or if there were conspirators around every corner. However, even without being an established member of their Freehold, the Child of the Dawn could not help but ask, "How do things change in the Freehold with the transferral of power between the Royals?"

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

"Some benefits of the position shift depending on which court is ascendant." Julian replied, watching the young Fairest as he spoke. "The challenges that our opponents must face to best our defenses change as well."

Rose nods, managing to obfuscate the disappointment that may have shown in the sound of her voice, but a part of her was beginning to lose it's grip on reality - to try to define what is appropriate and what is not. New Haven was dangerous. Somehow, she felt even without a transferral of power that it would cease to be so. Perhaps it worked like Directions, and the power was more shared over land than any true shift. She doesn't speak though - if she asked another question, she doubted she'd much care for the answer, and would have to figure out a way to come to terms with things as things were.

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

Julian watched Rose for a long moment, waiting for another question that didn't come. "Is there anything else I can assist you with this evening?"

Clarity:

Management:0 | 10/06/2016 4:03 am Rose has rolled an *Eyes Wits + Composure* I would have totally had Wits 3 and Dex 2 if I knew Wits and Comp would be important. roll (5 dice), getting 4, 6, 3, 3, 10, 7, with a difficulty of 8 on a 10 sided die. Rose has 1 success.

She doesn't speak for a moment, but her eyes focus in shifting hues. It's a rapid shift too - flashes of rainbow colors swirling like the loading screen of a computer. BlueRedYellowGreenPurpleOrangeBlueGreen. Lightning crackles around her, a sharp snap that travels swiftly across one of her wings. The shift is rather rapid as she takes in the information, until...

Cassandra starts singing inside of her. Yes. Yes that was right. Not everything was different here - not everything so quickly changed. This world may not follow the same rules, but there is a ground there that she can walk and stand on. Or fly with - as the case may be. She looks to Julian, and a smile crosses her face. Her voice seems to still the rather shocking moment of self-definition, filling the air with extra seconds in which time stood still. "I do have more questions - I hesitate to ask many of them though, as I am a newcomer to the area officially, and would hate to impose or seem overeager."

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

The shift in hues and the growing electrical charge around Rose got a response from both of the other Lost, with Gwendolyn sitting up and watching the angel very closely and Julian's hand going to his side, although there was no weapon visible to be drawn there.

As she settled back into herself, however, the two relaxed if only just. "Well, we are more than happy to help our new arrivals." Julian nodded, then looked to Gwendolyn. "I have some other business to attend to this evening, but Gwendolyn should be able to assist you further."

"I would be honored to." The young Gravewight gave Rose a small smile, hopping off of her seat.

Inside, she can hear Almvieg complaining to Cassandra that she should have not started singing and that she wanted to see King-Guy in action and see if the top dog had anything on her. They likely wouldn't get that Rose's smirk was also half from the argument going on in her head and the idea that sometimes she felt more alike with Almvieg than Cassara in the desire for that kind of challenge. "Thank you, Your Grace. Best of Wishes."

Her gaze flickered at the various amounts of detail she seemed to have gained - notably over Julian, and the question of whether there was something there or not immediately came to mind. She looked to Gwendolyn, and asked, "Will we be heading out, then?"

She assumed that this place was something of the King's, but she asked in case this place was something of Gwen's and the King had requested it's use.

"We will, yes." Gwendolyn nodded, giving the King a bow as he gave the ladies a nod and headed into the house proper. She then went to the side wall in the garage, where a bicycle was resting. "Did you arrive by gate or by vehicle?"

"Gate," She responded easily. "It always seems faster to me, and is a good way for me to understand the terrain and the emotional current of the city. Which, by the way, is very very wet."

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

"That is is." Gwen smiled slightly, taking the bicycle from the wall and wheeling it beside her as they headed out of the garage. "The sea's dreams are far deeper than the land's, and its influence reaches far. We have some among us that have taken to mapping that place as their purpose, however, which helps if you can get one of their maps."

"I see." She considers that. It was very easy to consider the fact that she could float over the waters in the hedge, but now she was actually considering the merit of floating under the waters, to see what things surfaced beneath the waves - was there a whole new labyrinth beneath that stretch? She found herself curiously considering snorkling devices of the hedgecraft variety, and whether or not she could fashion such a thing while there, or if she'd need to find assistance. As she walked, she asked, "Is there a holding in the city where I can meet others of our kind? People more on the ground floor, as it were?"

Julian

Mantle (Seelie) 4-5 | Fairest | Gwydion

Gwendolyn

Mantle (Seelie) 3 | Fairest | Eiluned

"There is, yes. One of our court, a woman by the name of Ellen Dufresne, has a restaurant in the downtown area. There, as well as the apartments upstairs, are a common meeting place for the locals on the Ironside."